John Williams music played in space by astronaut Sarah Gillis and SpaceX Polaris Dawn!

[karelm 3,248]

I thought this was worth its own thread, it's so cool!  The Polaris ship is the first fully commercial space walk (meaning not by a country but a private company).  Additionally, at 1,400 km (1,000 miles altitude), it's the highest any human has been since Apollo 17 (1972).  Here they are pitching music education and playing Rey from Star Wars in orbit!

More details:

Polaris Dawn astronaut plays 'Star Wars' song in music video beamed from space (video) | Space

 

Here was the crew with The Man himself.

 

 

 

[Garrett 175]

I thought this was pretty cool.

 

We just set the record for the furthest any JWFan has ever been from Earth (1,400 km). Congratulations guys!

[Thor 9,330]

Neat stuff, although there's obviously a lot of editing involved (I take it that the recording either stems from one place, or someone has put it all together in retrospect).

 

I'm also reminded of another Williams piece, "Satelite Celebration", which was more or less the same thing, although no one in outer space. Would have been more fitting to reuse, I think, although "Rey's Theme" is fine and more famous for the young 'uns.

[Tom 6,259]

Pretty cool that they used Rey's theme.  I thought for sure it would be SW main title, which would have been fine.  Somehow, this is cooler.  

[mrbellamy 7,820]

Yeah you can always go with an oldie but it's good to see "Rey's Theme" still getting its due.

[JohnnyD 1,694]

That is truly awesome.

[Loert 3,085]

Guess we need to come up with a new book title for "Adventures on Earth" now.

[Tom 6,259]

Is the footage of Williams in this current?  It looks like it is background-wise--like he was at least at a rehearsal.  That would be fantastic, but it might just be old footage.

 

Edit: He is definitely there with the conductor at the LA portion.  I wonder if he was at rehearsal, but not the actual performance.  I would think he would have been featured just a bit more if it was the latter.  Either way, great to see him out and about.  

[Sunshine Reger 3,697]

Awesome how Williams's work is not some fossil music in this context. Rey's Theme, composed in 2015, just 9 years ago, is a mainstream space-themed piece contemporary to the SpaceX rockets and inspiring to the same young generation(s).

 

The same Williams once listened to WWII broadcasts on the radio.

[Marian Schedenig 11,123]

In space, no one can hear you play John Williams music.

2 hours ago, Tom said:

Is the footage of Williams in this current?  It looks like it is background-wise--like he was at least at a rehearsal.  That would be fantastic, but it might just be old footage.

 

Edit: He is definitely there with the conductor at the LA portion.  I wonder if he was at rehearsal, but not the actual performance.  I would think he would have been featured just a bit more if it was the latter.  Either way, great to see him out and about.  

 

I wonder when these were taken:

 

Here's the video on YouTube:

 

[Sunshine Reger 3,697]

I like the little peak-a-boo

 

[Miguel Andrade 1,644]

Williams alluded to this at the Pittsburgh concert last December.

[Naïve Old Fart 12,471]

It will never be as poingant as 'Ron's Piece' 

[Thor 9,330]

4 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

It will never be as poingant as 'Ron's Piece' 

 

Indeed.

[King Mark 3,906]

that was so cool. 

[hornist 1,240]

Wonderful😍

[Tom 6,259]

Okay, I am bored.

 

They probably asked Williams if they should play the SW main theme, to which he said, how about we do Rey's theme?  They said, no, let's do the main theme.  And then, with the same air as Neeson insisting on doing improvisational comedy below, he said, "let's do Rey's theme, now."  

 

 

[King Mark 3,906]

Williams seen in the video pre or post concert cancellations?

[BB-8 5,797]

How many cookies did this take?

[King Mark 3,906]

JW thought Anne Sophie Mutter was sent into space?

[Jurassic Shark 15,864]

On 13/09/2024 at 9:50 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

In space, no one can hear you play John Williams music

 

Only Balfe is loud enough for that. 

 

12 hours ago, King Mark said:

Williams seen in the video pre or post concert cancellations?

 

That's Liam Neeson. 

 

On 13/09/2024 at 9:50 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

Here's the video on YouTube:

 

What the Heck are the Ugandans playing?

 

On 13/09/2024 at 5:53 PM, Tom said:

Pretty cool that they used Rey's theme.  I thought for sure it would be SW main title, which would have been fine.  Somehow, this is cooler.  

 

That was the plan, but they couldn't fit an orchestra into the space thingy. 

[Tom 6,259]

3 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

That was the plan, but they couldn't fit an orchestra into the space thingy. 

There wasn't enough space?  

[Marian Schedenig 11,123]

This isn't the space to talk about space. We don't have the space!

[Andy 6,862]

They could’ve fit them in the space between spaces. 

[Marian Schedenig 11,123]

8 minutes ago, Andy said:

They could’ve fit them in the space between spaces. 

 

At least the string section.

[lairdo 935]

Indeed, super cool. Sarah Gillis is just 30-years old, so she is clearly of the sequel trilogy era - she is less than 1/3rd of JW's age. But just love that she picked this.

 

Very enjoyable way to kick off the morning, and congrats to the Polaris Dawn crew for their successful and safe journey.

 

 

[The Score Cleaner 9,179]

6 hours ago, lairdo said:

Indeed, super cool. Sarah Gillis is just 30-years old, so she is clearly of the sequel trilogy era - she is less than 1/3rd of JW's age. But just love that she picked this.

 

 

Wouldn't that technically be prequel era?

[lairdo 935]

1 hour ago, The Great Gonzales said:

Wouldn't that technically be prequel era?

 

Well, I guess that is right. I sort of was thinking of being an adult but she was 5 when TPM came out and probably was taken to it.

[The Score Cleaner 9,179]

6 minutes ago, lairdo said:

 

Well, I guess that is right. I sort of was thinking of being an adult but she was 5 when TPM came out and probably was taken to it.

Yeah, usually when people refer to their era, they usually are referring to formative years, by the time you get in late twenties/thirties you start getting a bit more "analytical"

[igger6 1,027]

What did Williams say about this in Pittsburgh? And do we know when he was up and about to attend this event? I’m curious if this is evidence of him being back to more or less full strength, or if he’s still flat on his back somewhere.

[Miguel Andrade 1,644]

5 hours ago, igger6 said:

What did Williams say about this in Pittsburgh? And do we know when he was up and about to attend this event? I’m curious if this is evidence of him being back to more or less full strength, or if he’s still flat on his back somewhere.

 

He said something like he had met an astronaut that was taking her violin up and would like to play some Star Wars music.

[BB-8 5,797]

On 15/09/2024 at 6:26 AM, King Mark said:

JW thought Anne Sophie Mutter was sent into space?

 

 

[Tom 6,259]

On 15/09/2024 at 2:34 AM, Jurassic Shark said:

What the Heck are the Ugandans playing?

 

Symphony No. 2 transcribed for brass.  I hear that it is quite intense.  

[Jurassic Shark 15,864]

[BachSkywalker 176]

Sarah Gillis will be performing the special violin and piano arrangement of Rey's Theme-with the Maestro's approval--at a concert this summer at the Mount Wilson Observatory. Sounds like such a cool venue for a concert!

 

https://www.mtwilson.edu/events/concert072025/

[Miguel Andrade 1,644]

FYI, these concert series are curated by cellist Cecilia Tsan.

[BachSkywalker 176]

Yes! I found out about this concert from her posting about the series. It looks to be a great lineup of concerts. 

[Tom 6,259]

I still think Spacecamp would be more fitting both musically and historically, but Rey's theme is fantastic too.  

[karelm 3,248]

On 25/04/2025 at 4:58 PM, BachSkywalker said:

Sarah Gillis will be performing the special violin and piano arrangement of Rey's Theme-with the Maestro's approval--at a concert this summer at the Mount Wilson Observatory. Sounds like such a cool venue for a concert!

 

https://www.mtwilson.edu/events/concert072025/

 

That's really cool!  Thanks for posting.  I go to Mt. Wilson observatory with my astro club too so nice that she'll play at that historic venue!

[Andy 6,862]

Sarah Gillis feat. Katie Perry would slap. 

[BachSkywalker 176]

5 hours ago, karelm said:

 

That's really cool!  Thanks for posting.  I go to Mt. Wilson observatory with my astro club too so nice that she'll play at that historic venue!

Of course! I wish I lived closer to be able to attend the concert.